Monday’s Faculty Senate meeting touched on last week’s election, A&M’s research climate and new faculty concerns.
Jonathan Coopersmith, associate professor of history and chair of the legislative affairs committee, spoke on the impact of lat Tuesday’s elections and how the opinions of newly elected officials may affect policies on campus.
“In the next month or two, we hope to meet with our representatives,” Coopersmith said. “We did send a questionnaire to the heads of all the caucuses and committees stating what we thought they should place as their legislative priorities for the next session.”
Research Committee Chair Ergun Akleman, professor of visualization, gave a powerpoint presentation on surveying the research climate at the university.
“We want all of the faculty to understand the current climate for research at A&M,” Akleman said. “We want feedback on the faculty’s experience and perception of research here.”
The senate also unanimously passed a standard procedures resolution from the executive committee on movements that disrupt faculty teaching and research — mainly construction and the use of existing space that interferes with the university’s core missions.
Prior to the vote on the resolution, Doug Biggs, professor of oceanography and chair of the planning committee, provided additional support for the resolution, which would outline a procedure to make sure all colleges and departments are made aware of unused space available to them.